The Federal Character Commission (FCC) Committee on Works, Transport and Aviation, led by Hon. Peter Ogbonna Eze, and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) have pledged to strengthen collaboration towards ensuring fairness, inclusivity and equitable representation in recruitment, promotion and staff deployment across the aviation sector.
The commitment was reached on Tuesday during an interactive meeting at the FCC headquarters in Abuja, where both parties discussed FAAN’s workforce management practices and strategies for improving compliance with the Federal Character principle while sustaining professional standards and aviation safety.
Speaking during the engagement, Eze, the Federal Commissioner representing Enugu State, emphasised the importance of ensuring that qualified Nigerians from all parts of the country have fair opportunities to contribute to national development.
He maintained that the principles of merit and fairness should complement each other, stressing that public institutions could achieve professional excellence while reflecting the country's diversity through transparent and inclusive employment practices.
“Fairness is not a substitute for merit, and merit should not become an excuse for exclusion. Our goal is a workforce that is both professionally excellent and nationally representative,” Eze said.
The committee chairman explained that the meeting was designed to review FAAN’s level of compliance, identify implementation challenges and establish practical measures for strengthening cooperation between the authority and the commission.
He urged FAAN to move beyond documentation and demonstrate its commitment to creating equitable opportunities for Nigerians, noting that a workforce representative of the country's diversity would enhance public confidence and support national development.
Eze expressed optimism that the engagement would produce measurable outcomes and reinforce the constitutional responsibility of federal institutions to uphold the Federal Character principle.
In her response, FAAN’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to the principle, while highlighting the specialised professional requirements governing aviation operations.
Onabanjo-Kuku explained that FAAN’s annual promotion exercises involved consultations with the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Salaries and Wages Commission.
She also stated that, to the best of her knowledge, the authority had not received any letter from the FCC alleging non-compliance, adding that the organisation had diligently conducted its processes.
The managing director welcomed further clarification from the commission on the procedures for notifying it of recruitment and promotion exercises, assuring that FAAN would continue to adhere to the relevant guidelines.
She noted that aviation operations were subject to international standards, including those established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which determine personnel qualifications and operational requirements.
According to her, FAAN manages 22 airports and provides management services for approximately six additional airports on behalf of state governments and private-sector interests.
She explained that passenger traffic and operational activities were concentrated in a few airports, making staff deployment dependent on the specific needs and operational demands of individual locations.
Onabanjo-Kuku further identified aviation security and fire and rescue services as areas requiring additional personnel, noting that recruitment into such specialised roles must consider prescribed age limits, medical fitness and physical requirements.
She reiterated that FAAN would continue to balance the technical demands of aviation operations with the need to ensure equitable representation and compliance with Federal Character guidelines.
In a related development, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Hon. Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran, assured FAAN of the commission’s commitment to fostering a cordial and productive relationship with federal government agencies.
Omidiran gave the assurance when the FAAN managing director paid her a courtesy visit following the interactive session.
She explained that the commission was adopting a more streamlined approach to compliance monitoring and direct engagement with the heads of government institutions to improve understanding and implementation of its requirements.
According to her, the interactive sessions were intended to ensure that agency heads understood the commission’s expectations and personally committed to upholding the prescribed standards.
The FCC chairman stressed that direct engagement with heads of agencies was essential for strengthening accountability, clarifying compliance procedures and preventing avoidable misunderstandings between the commission and federal institutions.
She expressed confidence that sustained cooperation would improve institutional relations and promote greater adherence to the Federal Character principle across the public service.
The engagement highlights a shared commitment by the FCC committee, FAAN management and the commission’s leadership to advancing fairness, professional competence and equitable national representation in Nigeria’s federal public service.